And Picturing One’s shaykh
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| Sūrat Al-Zumar 39:3 |
Question:
1. We have
an imam of the masjid who says that on Laylat al-Qadr, Muḥammad, may
blessings and peace be upon him, came to the masjid and gave the greeting of
peace (salām) to the people, and that Jibrīl, peace be upon him, also
came to the masjid and gave the greeting of peace to the people. What is your
opinion regarding these statements?
2. Is it permissible
to pray behind someone who says that whoever does not picture[1]
the shaykh[2]
during his wird[3]
will be cut off from divine illuminations?
Answer
(from Sheikh Wahbah Al-Zuḥaylī):
1. These
claims and allegations are false. It is not lawful to make them, repeat them or
believe in them. Lies like these are akin to lying against the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, against the Revelation[4]
and against Jibrīl, and the matter therein is spiritual;[5]
no one has knowledge of it besides Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
2. This
statement is false and is also not lawful in the Revealed Law. It is not
permissible to picture a shaykh or anyone else whenever one is in
prayer,[6]
because a condition of the prayer is to be sincerely devoted to Allah, Mighty
and Majestic, and the texts of the Qurʾān show the opposite of this, such as
the Exalted One’s statement regarding idol-worshippers: “And those who take
protectors besides Him – ‘We only worship them so that they may bring us closer
to Allah’…” [Sūrat Al-Zumar 39:3] This kind of picturing is closer to
idolatry,[7]
and we seek refuge in Allah the Exalted.
[Translated
from Fatāwā Muʿāṣirah (Damascus: Dār Al-Fikr,
1427/2006), p.67-68]
Related Posts: A Beautiful Interview with Sheikh Ramadan Al-Bouti (Part 2)
[1] (tn): Ar. takhayyul, i.e. to picture him in
one’s mind
[2] (tn): i.e. the leader of a Ṣūfī ṭarīqah
[3] (tn): a set of daily supplications and
invocations, which in this case would be prescribed by the shaykh. For a general example, please see A Daily Wird.
[4] (tn): Ar. waḥī, which includes the Qurʾān
and the Sunnah
[5] (tn): Ar. rūḥānī, i.e. immaterial and thus
not something that can be witnessed and verified
[6] (tn): and the same applies to supplicating to
Allah and invoking Him
[7] (tn): Ar. shirk
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